1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a control method for the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional image forming apparatus, various adjustments such as an image quality adjustment are performed to obtain desired tint or density of an output image. Depending on an adjustment item, it can be determined how an adjustment result is reflected only by outputting an image after changing a parameter.
When a user adjusts such items, the user repeatedly changes the respective parameters of the adjustment items, outputs images, and compares output results for the adjustment. When outputting the image, the user needs to take a note about the parameter set at the time of outputting, associate the output result with the note, and set the parameter with trial and error so as to recognize the appropriate parameter to be set to the adjustment item.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-258907 discusses a technique to solve such issue. With the technique, a parameter value related to an image quality adjustment is combined to image information when an image is output. Thus, it can be known which parameter is set and output.
According to a technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-233920, every time a parameter related to image quality adjustment is changed, a history of the set parameter is stored, and the parameter can be restored by calling the history, so that the parameter can be set efficiently.
For example, additional information such as a history number or a parameter is created and is then added to a designated portion within the output result, so that checking and comparison of the output results and resetting of the set parameter at the time can be efficiently performed.
With the configuration of the conventional image forming apparatus, a target parameter of the adjustment item is stored as history information and can be read and reset each time when the parameter related to the image quality adjustment is set. However, there are a large number of adjustment items that influence on an output product of the image forming apparatus, in addition to the items for the image quality adjustment. One of the adjustment items can critically influence on the image quality or the quality of a printed product depending on a value of the set parameter.
The adjustment item needs to be changed according to an install environment of the image forming apparatus. It is desirable that only an administrator with specialized knowledge can handle the adjustment. In addition, there may be a case that the administrator does not want to restore the parameter set during the adjustment, after ending the adjustment and determining parameters of the adjustment items. In such a case, there is also an issue that the parameter of the adjustment item is restored and reset based on the history information after ending the adjustment.